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January 9

Could anyone identify this city for me?

This is the picture in question. http://www.city-photos.org/_rss/4054877.jpg

AlmostCrimes (talk) 03:53, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Moscow, that ship thing is Peter the Great Statue [1] meltBanana 04:29, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Military terms or language

When a soldier in the military says, "The enemy is five clicks down the road", what is the distance of a "click"?71.53.237.28 (talk) 04:16, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I've only ever heard it used as a synonym for a kilometre. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 04:22, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Yes, a click is a kilometer/kilometre. Dismas|^(talk) 04:36, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

See also the article on klick. ---Sluzzelin talk 04:39, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

That is also used as a synonym of kilometre by non-military people, at least in Canada. Adam Bishop (talk) 05:09, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

In Perth, Australia, I have occasionally heard it used as a speed. Ie one might be doing "100 klicks" on the freeway, but I've never heard "klicks per hour". Mitch Ames (talk) 06:40, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Why would Americans be using metric: kilometres rather than miles? 92.15.24.111 (talk) 17:30, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

American scientists widely use the metric system in keeping with the rest of the scientific community -- well, most of the time. The military has used metric since the late 1950s, likely to reduce with armies from other countries. Canada began metrication in the 1970s, but it was stopped and partially reversed in the mid-1980s, so they use a mixture of both systems. Xenon54 (talk) 19:05, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I suppose that operating in Western Europe, the US Army would have to use the existing metric maps. Using miles and yards on a metric map can be done but is a whole lot more difficult than using kilometres and metres. The maps available for Vietnam would have been surveyed by the French, so the same applies there. I suspect that maps of the USA continued to use US measurements for quite a while longer. Maps of the United Kingdom were not metricated until the mid 1970s. Alansplodge (talk) 13:13, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

IPO

Resolved

I want to understand in the simplest manner how a company makes shares for itself without lessening the current owners' ownership -- unless, of course, that is what an IPO will do. So when Facebook, for example, has an IPO and Mark Zuckerberg currently owns let's say 25% of the company, how can he retain 25% of the company? If whoever now owns whatever percentages of the company get that much in stock to equal their current ownership level, how are there any remaining stocks for sale? Perhaps I'm confusing everything, and that's where I'm lost, but I read the IPO article and it didn't really help me at all on this. Thanx. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 04:34, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

He doesn't. That's the downside of an IPO. Of course, you could have two classes of shares in which the A class has 1,000 times the votes per share as the B class. That would allow the existing management to maintain control of the company even with a minority of the equity. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 05:01, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 18:05, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Note that although the percentage of ownership decreases, the value of ownership will not, if the IPO is priced correctly -- because the money brought in by the IPO is distributed across all the shares that exist. Looie496 (talk) 18:55, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Could you explain that a bit more please? And could you just sell off as many non-voting shares as you like, and therefore sell most of the company but still keep control of it? 92.15.24.111 (talk) 22:06, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Suppose I own all 100 shares of MyCompany and its assessed value is US$1,000,000. My shares are worth US$1,000,000. Suppose I perform an IPO and issue 200 new shares. In some perfect world, the market would agree with the assessed value and would pay US$2,000,000 for the 200 new shares. This is because at the end of the day of my IPO day, my company, already with US$1,000,000 in value, has an additional US$2,000,000 in the bank. My 100 shares are now worth one-third of US$3,000,000, which comes to US$1,000,000 — no change. To your second question, yes, this is possible, but it makes large investors likely to value the shares less. One significant company with a structure like this is Ford Motor Company. Our article does not discuss this for some reason, but a criticism over time is that the Ford family still controls a much larger share of the voting shares than the economic shares would indicate. (This link states the Ford family controls 40% of the voting shares.) The pension funds (which are some of the largest investors in private companies) are always complaining about this, because less voting power means they have less ability to pressure Ford's board into replacing the CEO or making broad strategy changes if the pension funds deem it appropriate. Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:19, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks. I'm very intrigued by the idea that simply by doing an IPO, the business gets an extra $2M (in your example). Is there anything I can read about how this pans out in practice rather than just in theory? Why isnt every business doing this? Why cannot a business raise an unlimited amount of money? Thanks 92.15.3.168 (talk) 21:21, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

You only raise as much money in an IPO as people are willing to pay. The goal is to price an IPO as high as possible while still having it oversubscribed (that is, more demand for the shares than are shares available). If it becomes apparent that there isn't enough demand, the company may cancel the IPO. Remember, the downside of an IPO is that you effectively lose control over the company. Even if you keep most of the equity or votes, there are still lots of laws intended to protect minority shareholders. You can't just do what you want after you go public. And it costs money to do all the stuff you have to do as a public corporation. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:34, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, the company's management does get to do almost whatever they want with the money, subject only to any of the corporation's bylaws' restraints on the CEO's power and the CEO's fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the shareholders. To the point of every business doing this, if a buggy whip company were founded tomorrow by DRosenbach and was able to file to raise US$2 million in an IPO, I don't think any investors would be found who would be interested, since CEO DRosenbach would be sure to start spending the US$2 million on making buggy whips, which won't ever sell, so the investors would conclude no profit would eventually occur at all. Side note: DRosenbach's company would not really be able to file for an IPO because of the inability to find a securities underwriter (and that article section, amazingly, tries to cover the topic in only 5 sentences). Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:00, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Queen Victoria's Succession to the throne of England

Perhaps someone out there can explain why succession to the throne of England went to Queen Victoria and not to Ernest Augustus I of Hanover. He was the next male in line after all of his older brothers died (two of whom were kings- George IV and William IV). Please refer to the following link from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_monarchs%27_family_tree Since all of his older brothers had died, and had not produced any male heirs to the throne, wouldn't he be the next king? Queen Victoria was the child of one of his deceased brothers, The Duke of Kent, and a female. Why would the throne go to her when Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, the direct, legitimate MALE offspring of George III, was still alive?Xeyedcat (talk) 10:40, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

In brief, because he was not next in line. That is simply not how British Primogeniture (male-preference primogeniture) works. It isn't about exhausting all male options first. Look at it this way: the current line of succession to the British throne shows you that Charles's sons are next in line after him, before his brothers. He doesn't have to take the throne before he dies for them to be before his brothers in the succession: if Charles died tomorrow, William would be next in line and the new Heir Apparent. If Charles had three children, let's say William, Winifred, and Harry, and he died tomorrow, the line of succession would go: William (Heir Apparent), Harry, Winifred, Andrew (Charles's brother), Andrew's daughters (in order of age), Edward (Charles and Andrew's younger brother), etc. As you can see, the fictional Winifred would come behind her brothers, but still before her uncles. And, in the real line of succession, Beatrice and Eugenie come before Edward. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.163.214.50 (talk) 11:54, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

In the British primogeniture system, the direct lines are exhausted before moving to the junior lines. In other words, brothers come before sisters, but they ALL come before uncles or cousins. So, let's say that we have the following family tree (fictional):

• King Andrew (M)

• Bertrand (M)

• Charles (M)
• Ernestine (F)
• David (M)

• Francis (M)

If Andrew dies, and no other children are born, the succession goes

1. Bertrand
2. Charles
3. David
4. Ernestine
5. Francis

This is because a) David is younger than Ernestine, but as a male, gets to succeed BEFORE her (that is, males in the direct line, come before females in the direct line of the oldest son) b) Though there is a living male descendant of Andrew (his younger son Francis), Ernestine comes first because we must exhaust the line of the oldest son of Andrew BEFORE moving on to the lines of any younger sons of Andrew. I hope this makes sense. --Jayron32 19:10, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

So not only does Bertrand come before his younger brother Francis, so do his children? Does this extend to their children as well, and so on? Assuming Ernestine has a daughter, and all of Bertrand, Charles, David and Ernestine die before her, does she then inherit the crown, even if Francis is still alive? JIP | Talk 19:39, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Your first question is correct. If Bertrand were to have children, they would come immediately after him in the succession, and before Charles. Bertrand's sons would come before Bertrand's daughters, but ALL of Bertrand's sons and daughters as a group would come before Charles. For your second question, yes. Ernestine's children would come before Francis, so even if Ernestine had only daughters, they would succeed before Francis. In the British primogeniture system, once a person is in the line, their children all come in the line immediately after them, and before anyone else, ordered sons before daughters, oldest before younger. --Jayron32 19:46, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Incidentally, the present queen had an uncle – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–74) – who would have been king in 1952 if the rule were "exhaust all nearby males first". —Tamfang (talk) 04:54, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Question (Divorce)

what is the process for a divorce in the state of California? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Marztech5 (talk • contribs) 16:43, 9 January 2011 (UTC) what is the process for a divorce in the state of California? In 1998, I had paid for a divorce decree in the Modesto court house and followed all that expected of me. I found out that in 2010 that I am still married to my first wife. In 2005, I had married my new wife, we have three children together. When I had applied for a marriage licience at the Hemet court house, the courts examined my devoire decree and had issued my wife and I a marriage licience. Now I found out that a long time friend is in the same situation. I tried to have others do it for me and that didn't work, so I would like to learn how to do it for myself. There is almost no information on how this process really works, which leaves the residents of California very vulnerable. --Marztech5 (talk) 17:21, 9 January 2011 (UTC)— Preceding unsigned comment added by Marztech5 (talk • contribs) 16:43, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Sorry, but we are not permitted to give legal or medical advice (and that's what an answer to this would be). Looie496 (talk) 18:53, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I removed the question and added the template. I concur with Louie496's assessment, and advice the original question asker to seek a lawyer to get answers to questions like this. --Jayron32 19:01, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I've undone the deletion, because I don't think that was the proper thing to do here. The original original question, "What is the process for a divorce in the state of California," is acceptable. Asking the RD to respond to one's personal legal situation is not. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 20:08, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Nolo Press publishes a self-help guide for uncontested divorces in California (link); they also publish a general guide which covers divorce in the United States in general (here), presumably with less detail; I have no personal experience of either book, but some of Nolo's other books have proved to be excellent. It's my understanding that some people of limited means file uncontested divorce paperwork with the assistance of a paralegal alone (a Google search for "california divorce paralegal" finds any number of paralegals offering their services in this regard). Contested divorces, and cases where the custody and maintenance of minor children is an issue, most often require parties to engage lawyers. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 21:49, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

How to get to John o' Groats?

After reading the article about John o' Groats, I have speculated with the idea of actually visiting it. I have visited Nordkapp, which is almost the northernmost point in mainland Europe, so I'd like to visit the almost-northernmost point of Great Britain as well. So how do I actually get to John o' Groats? I don't have a driver's license, so my own car or a rental car is not an option. Is there a railway or bus connection to John o' Groats? I don't know if John o' Groats has its own airport (Tromsø in Norway does) but I guess it does not. In terms of economy, should I fly from Finland to London and travel to John o' Groats from there, or to some nearer airport in Scotland? JIP | Talk 19:27, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Here's a bus from Inverness: [2]. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 19:45, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks. I did a quick Internet search on how to get to Inverness, in order to get on that bus. It turns out that a direct flight from Finland to Inverness costs about the same as a flight to London and a train trip to Inverness, but I guess a direct flight is faster. The bus connection from Inverness to John o' Groats seems to be direct, so if I decide to ever go on the trip, this is perhaps the best option. JIP | Talk 20:04, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

The same website Mwalcoff linked has details of all buses from Thurso and Wick: [3] - but do check, as these haven't been updated since 2009. Be warned, there's very little to see in John O'Groats; the main attraction is the ferry to Orkney. Warofdreams talk 20:07, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

There's at least a shop and a hotel at John o' Groats, which is a lot more than there is at the actual northernmost point of Great Britain. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 20:46, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

BTW there's also a train service (four times a day) from Inverness to Thurso and Wick, and Wick Airport. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 20:51, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Orkney is worth a visit. Heart of Neolithic Orkney is a UNESCO world heritage site there. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 15:31, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

You might find it cheaper to fly to a larger Scottish airport - Blue1 starts a Helsinki - Edinburgh service in April. The train can take you as far as Wick or Thurso, or you can fly from Edinburgh to the aforementioned Wick Airport. It should be easy to get a bus or taxi to John O'Groats, though I'm surprised would want to go there (in my opinion, a more challenging place to visit would be Cape Wrath with its lighthouse and no shops selling tourist crap). Astronaut (talk) 00:22, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

www.travelinescotland.com (note the one 'l' in the middle), is the main public transport search site for Scotland. It also covers the rest of the UK via the other travel line sites. CS Miller (talk) 16:40, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Not an answer, but a bit of extra trivia. Lots of people do charity walks from Land's End to John o'Groats, and if you look up the walking route on Google Maps, it tells you to take six ferries, including one to France. :) --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 02:50, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Just to point out that the northernmost point of Great Britain is Out Stack, but it's even less inviting than Dunnet Head, which is the most northerly point on mainland Britain.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 13:10, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Great Britain is "an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe.." (my emphasis). Out Stack is the northernmost point of the British Isles. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:24, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

...and indeed of Britain. Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:32, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

... but not of Great Britain. See Terminology of the British Isles for the whole sorry saga. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 19:18, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Department store with the most floors

Which department store has the most floors? --84.62.210.80 (talk) 22:06, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

It was the J. L. Hudson Department Store and Addition, with 23 above-ground retails floors and two in the basement, but it was demolished in 1998. Still searching for the current record holder. The world's largest, Shinsegae Centum City, clocks in at a measly eight.Clarityfiend (talk) 23:00, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

This claims there's an 18-storey one (plus a basement floor?) in Taiwan, but I can't make out any details. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:12, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Which department store in Japan has the most floors? --84.62.210.80 (talk) 07:21, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Marshall Field and Company Building in downtown Chicago has twelve above and one below-ground floor. So you need to beat 13. It was once the largest department store in the world. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 16:27, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

The building has 13 floors, but are all 13 dedicated to retail space? A store is a continous area of retail space, and the size of the store may be somewhat smaller than the size of the building housing the store... --Jayron32 16:36, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Berjaya Times Square has 10+1+1(G+LG) floors in the main retail space part. I don't know if you can say it's all dedicated to retail space since it includes an indoor theme park and perhaps more importantly various head offices in the retail space part. I'm not sure if all floors have what can be considered retail space although the 10th floor (food court and cinema) and LG does. You can see a shop directory here [4], I guess a question is how much retail is needed in a floor for it to be counted? The building itself is significantly higher. Nil Einne (talk) 20:04, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Which department store in Japan has the most floors? --84.62.209.181 (talk) 18:24, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Please? would be nice... gazhiley.co.uk 10:25, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

A simple search for 'department store japan most floors' finds one allegedly with 15 floors (although I don't understand how you can start at B2 and go all the way up to 14 but only end up with 15 floors unless they completely skipped 4 or something without even a 3A or one of them lacks retail space but this wasn't mentioned) [5]. However no claim is made that it has the most floors Nil Einne (talk) 20:11, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Kansas, in area, compared to other states, pre 1912

This book says Kansas is the thirteenth state in area, but Kansas is now 15th. in size. The book was published in 1912. Assuming that one state is Alaska, what accounts for the other? Albacore (talk) 22:24, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

New Mexico and Arizona both joined the Union in 1912. Both are bigger than Kansas. If the book was written before both joined, you'd expect Kansas to lose 3 positions (those two and, as you say, Alaska). If it was written after both, you'd expect it to lose only 1 (again Alaska). For the state to lose 2, the book would have to be written (and I appreciate that there are potentially big delays between books being authored, typeset, printed, and distributed) in the six week period between the accession of NM and before that of AZ. Hopefully there's a smarter reason than that... 87.115.125.162 (talk) 22:49, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Hawaii, also 1959? A bit before August 4, 1961:) --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:50, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia gives Hawaii's area as 10,931 sq miles, making it much smaller than all the states in question. I guess the book could be counting using some other measure of area, taking into account some particularly ambitious definition of Hawaii's territorial waters? 87.115.125.162 (talk) 22:59, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Ooops, sorry! --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:12, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I note that the book's value for Kansas' area (82144 sq miles) and our value for Kansas' area (82277 sq miles) do not match. As such, I expect the difference is in consideration of water area or some other value. We note that Kansas is 0.56% water, but Michigan, at 97000 sq miles, is a whopping 41% water due to Lake Michigan. So my best guess is that Kansas drops from 13th in 1912 to 14th in 1959 (due to Alaska, as above) and possibly another spot depending on how you treat Michigan. — Lomn 13:00, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Not just our share of Lake Michigan but our large shares of Lake Huron and Lake Superior as well. See File:Michigan.svg. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 16:20, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Time between Logan airport and Back Bay Station

We're going to be travelling in Boston this summer and one point of our journey is getting from Logan airport to Back Bay Station to catch a train to New York - does anybody have any idea (roughly) how long it takes on the subway to get from the airport to this station? ny156uk (talk) 22:58, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

MBTA's journey planner is here. For an arbitrary weekday I just plugged in, it estimated 39 minutes using the Blue Line. 87.115.125.162 (talk) 23:22, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

From the airport you have to catch a (free) shuttle bus to get to the Airport subway station. Then the correct routing by subway is the Blue Line as far as State station, then the Orange Line. The actual travel time isn't a lot, but the need to wait for three vehicles and make two changes will slow you down (and the way State station is laid out, you have to walk about a block inside the station between trains). 39 minutes sounds like it's in the right range, but it might be a bit low, especially if it doesn't include the shuttle bus.

An alternative is the Silver Line express bus, which you could take directly from your airport terminal to South Station, where your Amtrak train originates. Being devoutly of the rail persuasion myself, I have not tried this and am not sure how long it takes, but I expect it would be more convenient. --Anonymous, 05:57 UTC, January 10, 2011.

The Silver Line is very fast and about as reliable as rail. It travels through tunnels a good portion of its journey and generally does not have to contend with traffic except in the terminals. It's truly faster IF it lets you avoid switching trains (e.g. before the Silver Line, I used to have to go Red > Orange > Blue > Shuttle to get to Logan; now I go Red > Silver and I'm done; it's quicker and easier). BUT I would note that South Station and Back Bay are not the same thing at all, and that there are trains at both, and presumably the OP meant the Back Bay when they said it and not South. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:01, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Of course it's not the same station; I said South Station is where the train originates. There is no reason to go to Back Bay to catch the train unless it's more convenient to get to. Well, coming from the airport by subway you'd need three trains to get to South Station and only two to get to Back Bay, so it is more convenient. But by Silver Line bus, South Station is more convenient, with no changes required. --Anonymous, 07:06 UTC, 1/11/11 (or 11/1/11, or...).

May I ask why you are taking the train? It is a very expensive and very slow way to get to New York from Boston. It is probably much slower than you realize. It will take you about as much time as taking a bus would from South Station, and cost you ten times as much. For reasons that are unclear to me, the train system in the northeast is entirely ridiculous in terms of its reliability and its cost. Just putting that out there, as someone who has made the trip many times before...! The new bus lines (Megabus, Bolt Bus, etc.) are all pretty comfortable as far as bus travel goes (electrical outputs, WiFi, bathrooms, reasonable amount of space) and are much cheaper than Amtrak. They would probably add no more than an hour or two to your trip. --Mr.98 (talk) 03:17, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Trains are a lot nicer than buses. You can get up and walk around if you want. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 05:10, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

And on the Northeast Corridor they're substantially faster, as 98 states himself or herself: "no more than an hour or two" is a big difference on a trip that length. It's most other North American passenger railways that are relatively slow. --Anonymous, 05:45 UTC, January 10, 2011.

Anyway, I'm just suggesting, from experience: avoid the rail in the northeast. It costs about as much as flying does and takes about as long as a bus. Just to indicate what I'm talking about: the Acela Express, the fastest one, can do it in 3.5 hours, but at a cost of $95-$110 each way (at least on some sample weekday I chose). The Northeast regional takes 4 hours at $67 each way. (That's right—the "high speed" rail saves you... 30 minutes! At a cost of nearly double most of the time.) A direct flight from Logan to JFK on Jetblue costs $39 (sorry, that's just a sale they're having at the moment) $69 each way and takes a little over an hour. A ticket on Bolt Bus costs $15 and takes 4 hours 45 minutes. Megabus costs $13 for a trip of 4 hours 15 minutes. Do you see what I'm indicating? It's very hard for me to see the utility of the train. Nobody I know who travels between Boston and New York opts to take it. All of this assumes, of course, that the Amtrak will be on time, which it will not be. (The flights usually are, though the extra hassle of airport security can add an hour if you have to go through it again. The buses usually leave on time but arrival depends very heavily on the traffic in the last mile or so of the trip, which can be brutal. However, it is very scenic — much more scenic than the train — for that last hour into Manhattan.) Anyway, it's your trip! Do what you feel. I'm just pointing out that, as a Bostonian who makes that trip once or twice a year, the train is really the odd way to go. Don't get me wrong: I wish rail service was a competitive option around here. I love the European model of getting around. But for reasons unbeknownst to me, it isn't very workable here, in my experience. (Of course, if you're not going to NYC, the prices and times are different. But there are probably buses anywhere a train is going.) --Mr.98 (talk) 13:59, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

FWIW, the train is an efficient means of travel when one considers the time for a flight to NY is not just the time in the air - but includes security time, and the wonderful ride from Laguardia into the city on a $20 cab ride. The half hour flight can easily take three hours :) and cost as much as the train. And if the person is actually trying to get to, say, Stamford CT, the train beats the plane if one is starting from the vicinity of Logan. I would point out, however, that South Station is a preferred station - it is to Boston as Grand Central is to NY, and Back Bay is like 125th St. Collect (talk) 16:21, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

I have to say that on my trip to the US I took the Acela Express from Boston (South Station) to NYC and found it excellent - punctual, comfortable and remarkably quiet. The price seemed reasonable at the time. I can't recall precisely what it was now, though it was booked some way in advance. Would also thoroughly recommend the Silver Line in Boston for getting to/from the airport. the wub "?!" 19:07, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Just curious... if you are flying into Logan, why not change your ticket to fly into an airport closer to NYC? Astronaut (talk) 20:54, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Hi - thanks for all the answers. Looks like need to allow maybe an hour and a half to be able to make the switch comfortably. Mr 98 / etc. - we're getting a bus up from NY on the way 'out' to Boston and spending a couple of weeks there (well there and Cape cod) and we thought it would be nice to get a train on the way back. Not worried about how long takes as such - only timescale need to be certain about i getting from the airport (where my rental car is booked) to Back Bay Station where our train is booked, sounds like 1.5 hours will be a reasonable allowance for this. Thanks for the help everyone, much appreciated. ny156uk (talk) 08:03, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

1.5 hours should be more than enough, especially since trains don't have security lines. Best of luck! --Mr.98 (talk) 12:54, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

January 10

Roy Cleveland Sullivan (February 7, 1912 – September 28, 1983) was a U.S. park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Do you have a photo on file of Roy Cleveland Sullivan (February 7, 1912 – September 28, 1983) was a U.S. park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Please advise - Mike O'Mallon Brisbane Australia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.228.198.113 (talk) 03:22, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not seem to have a photo. If you google "Roy Cleveland Sullivan", the first link is to the WP article Roy Sullivan and the second to images of the man. There are also links to photos at the very bottom of the WP article. Bielle (talk) 03:31, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

help finding Wikipedia basic design info.

Hi, I’m trying to find info, very simplified info regarding Wikipedia’s volunteer: editors, administrators, etc. as a hierarchy tree or organization design, as well as Wikipedia’s paid administrative basic hierarchy tree style structure as a simplified business model example. I signed up, in hopes to find relating info. I’ve searched online and read many articles but have come up dry in this area. Any help would be very much appreciated. I also searched at the village pump:) but no luck.

Thank you

JOhn  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pariah07 (talk • contribs) 08:29, 10 January 2011 (UTC) 

You'll get a lot of information at Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation is the charitable organisation behind Wikipedia, and that page contains information on the members of the board of trustees, its relation to Wikipedia, etc. Wikimedia and Wikipedia have only a very small paid staff, and do not resemble conventional business organisations. You may have read those pages and draw your own organisational tree. If you have further questions, please ask. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:24, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Here's a link (same site as above) with a clear organization chart and list of staff of the Wikimedia Foundation. --Quartermaster (talk) 15:40, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Please note that Wikimedia is separate from Wikipedia. Only Wikimedia has paid staff. Wikipedia has only volunteers and not so much a hierarchy but a mob with various privileges - all of whom are editors. See Wikipedia:User access levels. The most restrictive being non-logged-in editors. The various privileges are assigned individually (like rollbacker) or in packets (like admin which includes deletion, protection and rollbacker). Some users and admins have other tools like oversight and checkuser. Rmhermen (talk) 16:43, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

And there are several different language editions of Wikipedia, each with a large degree of autonomy (although all share certain basic principles). the wub "?!" 19:09, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Identify who the statue in the picture is of

Can anyone identify whose statue it is in this picture http://copytaste.com/l244 ?? Thanks in advance. 110.225.172.58 (talk) 15:26, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

That is a (reconstruction) of a statue of Athena Parthenos. The reconstruction was carried out by American sculptor Alan LeQuire. --Saddhiyama (talk) 15:33, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Saddhiyama beat me. Let me just add that the statue, as I found out on the Internet, is apparently situated in the Nashville Parthenon. TomorrowTime (talk) 15:36, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Sweet, Thank-you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.95.247.96 (talk) 04:33, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

No Japanese elevator companies in Switzerland?

Why aren't there any elevators with a Japanese brand (Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, Toshiba, or Fujitec) in Switzerland? --84.62.209.181 (talk) 19:59, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

What makes you think there aren't? --Jayron32 20:29, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Schindler Group, the world's second-largest elevator group, is based in Switzerland, so maybe a lot of Swiss companies buy from them (only the USA's Otis Elevator Company is larger). But they have a partnership deal with Mitsubishi Electric[6]. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:51, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Hitachi seems to only sell elevators in Asia[7]; supplying elevators requires having trained engineers etc available nearby, so perhaps it is not cost-effective to offer support in Europe. No idea about the other manufacturers. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:57, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

2010 mailing address

Dear Wikipedia, I am trying to find the current mailing addresses for the Trilateral Commission and the Bilderberg...even a contact phone number would be nice. I have looked through so many search engines and so many sites... I just can't find what I'm looking for.

Please help, Zaxa —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.14.210.66 (talk) 23:38, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Goodness, how hard did you try? The Trilateral Commission has an official website, and there's a "Contact Us" link on it. I clicked that and found this. --Jayron32 23:46, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Bilderberg also has a website, but no contact info. (It's not really a "thing" to contact though...unless you wanted to contact the actual Bilderberg hotel, I guess.) Adam Bishop (talk) 02:56, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Presumably, there is some body which organizes the meetings, sets the agendas, that sort of thing. I assume that they would have a means to contact them, like a mailbox SOMEWHERE. They no longer meet at the namesake hotel; so that's a dead end. But the Trilateral Commission has contact info which was pretty easy to find. --Jayron32 03:15, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Not sure if they are reliable, but this website claims to have contact details. (Found via the first hit for "bilderberg contact") SmartSE (talk) 15:23, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Presumably, you could contact Etienne Davignon, the chairman of the Bilderberg steering committee. He is listed as vice-chairman of Tractebel. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:21, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

January 11

Weight gain as a result of Calories intake

I am confused how the weight is gained on intake of calories. Do the calories taken in creat fat or how is the calories causing increase of weight, because weight is only due to fat adn/or muscles. Please correct me if I am asking a stupid question. Typical question is about drinks. How is water based (alcohol) causing weight increase please. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.100.40.37 (talk) 01:12, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

In the short term, anything you consume increase your weight, including drinking water. But, in the case of water, you quickly pee it out, so it's not permanent. Calories, on the other hand, can put on permanent weight, if you consume more than you burn, as they are converted into fat and stored in your body. Alcohol does contain calories itself, and is also commonly mixed with sugar in some form (like fruit juices), which then adds more calories. StuRat (talk) 01:28, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict)Food calories are a heuristic method of tracking your diet. What a calorie is is a measure of energy. Your body works with energy by storing it in the bonds of various molecules. It is actually quite a complex set of molecules, everything from ATP to glucose to glycogen to fat is used by the body to "store" and transport energy for various purposes. What your body does when you eat food is break the food down and use the energy released by the breakdown of this food to create these various molecules. The most direct form of energy is known as blood glucose, that is the molecule used to transport energy from place to place in your blood. Things like your muscles and brain absorb this glucose and break it down to use for energy. Your body has means of monitoring blood glucose; if your blood glucose remains elevated for long periods of time, it activates processes in your body which will put it into a form of long-term storage, first as glycogen and, after long enough, as fat. If you are constantly consuming more food energy (as commonly measured in "calories") than your body uses, it ends up in consistantly high blood glucose levels, which in turn results in making yourself fatter and other problems like Type II diabetes. I hope that all makes sense, its the simplest way I can present it. Regarding the alcohol & water issue: The deal with drinks is that it isn't the water that provides food calories, it is the stuff floating in the water, i.e. the alcohol, juices, and other stuff, that does. --Jayron32 01:36, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Very silly question unlikely to be answered

Does the seat 19A on a Boeing 777 (Air Canada) has a power outlet? Thanks! Answers are useless after 9 PM UTC on the 11th. :P [CharlieEchoTango] 06:57, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

A google search on keywords like "boeing 777" and "air canada" and "power" (or something like that, I forget exactly what I typed) soon led me to seatguru.com, which says that both the 777-200 and the 777-300 on Air Canada have power at that seat. The site also states that on the 777-300 (but not the 777-200), 19A is an inferior seat because it has no window. I have no idea how reliable the information is. --Anonymous, 07:30 UTC, 1/11/11 (or 11/1/11, or...).

Wow, you definitely rock, Anonymous! I don't care 'bout the window, it's all about the power! Thanks a thousand times! [CharlieEchoTango] 08:10, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I actually do not believe there's information like THIS online. I am actually awed, and a little freaked out. And prefer seats with windows to seats with power outlets ;) cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 08:19, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

It might also be wise to ask the stew about usage of the power outlet, although I suppose you could try and see if they yell at you for it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:27, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

...Why? APL (talk) 17:12, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Because it might not be intended for passenger use. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:34, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Have ... you been on an airplane recently? We're not talking about running an extension cord across the aisle to the flight-attendant's station. We're talking about the power outlets they put right on the arms of your seats to plug your laptop into. APL (talk) 19:18, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Geez... now can you tell me which flights have the most attractive flight attendants? --Ludwigs2 17:20, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

American. They do what they do best. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:34, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I think Singapore Airlines has a good reputation in this regard. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 09:57, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

according to the TV adverts in the UK the flight attendants on Virgin Airways cause people to stop and stare in silence at their beauty, and spill coffee over themselves, and consider giving up high powered jobs just to work with them etc... gazhiley.co.uk 11:38, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Assuming the stews are all virgins at departure, are they still all virgins at arrival? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:37, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

can't say I've heard of a service offered by them that would change that status... It's not in the brochure anyways... ;-) gazhiley.co.uk 13:58, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Singapore Airlines wins out of the airlines I've travelled with. (Although my main reason for liking the airline is that they have the best selection of movies, etc., on demand in the back of every seat in economy.) --Tango (talk) 19:17, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

But the accent is so annoying!! 86.4.183.90 (talk) 18:16, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

That's one of the most impressive answers I've seen here. The internet is an amazing thing! --Tango (talk) 19:17, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

An uplifting question

Our article on the Otis Elevator Company claims at the very start of the article, "The Otis Elevator Company is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today, principally elevators and escalators." What other types of vertical transportation are being implied here? As far as carrying people, elevators and escalators are all I can think of. Is it poorly written or is it just me? Dismas|^(talk) 11:01, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, own website states "Otis Elevator Company is the world’s leading manufacturer, installer and maintainer of elevators, escalators and moving walkways—a constant, reliable name for more than 150 years.", so it sounds like the article is a clumsy paraphrase. I've added the word "focusing" to imply that it's what the company focuses on, rather than the type of vertical transportWorm 11:49, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Oh an as to your question, elevators do come in many shapes and sized, for example the Paternoster is not what people think of as a traditional elevator... Worm 11:51, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Slides and stairs also seem to be "vertical transportation systems". See my old alma mater. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 12:24, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Well we have Category:Vertical transport devices which is a lot broader than elevators/escalators. I'm not sure the article means to imply such a range though. the wub "?!" 12:57, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

They also maintain funiculars - I don't know if any new ones are being built.71.7.141.10 (talk) 12:59, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Angel's Flight was razed in 1969 (I rode it in 1968) - and a new one was built in 1996 (using the original cars but not really anything else, and completely different in operation), so I think that qualifies as building a funicular? Collect (talk) 19:52, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

There are various other general and specialist types of (usually industrial) goods/materials lifting devices, such as fixed and portable hoists, that could arguably come under the description of "vertical transportation systems." Devices such as cranes and fork-lift trucks, which also come under the legal category of 'Lifting Tackle' for UK certification purposes, may be more of a stretch. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 15:44, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

• The Archimedes' screw, ladder, fireman's pole, and Space Shuttle are all vertical transportation systems. --M@rēino 15:53, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't believe that you can buy a Space Shuttle from Otis Elevator. APL (talk) 15:56, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I believe that depends on the price you offer. But I grant that it's not a COTS item for them. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 17:24, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Is it possible to lift a person from the Earth to space slowly so they experience insignificant g-force? If not, why not? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:09, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Sure. It's just enormously expensive in terms of fuel. If it's practical with current and near-future technology is an interesting question. But notice that the shuttle already reduces g-forces to at most 3g, down from 4g for the Saturn V Apollo missions. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 19:00, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Not yet, but hopefully soon: space elevator. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:07, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

No doubt Otis are working on it!85.211.160.26 (talk) 08:42, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Sending a customer complaint to the top

If I wanted to send a vitriolic letter to the president of Sovereign Bank, would it go to the address listed at this page? Dismas|^(talk) 11:55, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I can only speak from my experience in the UK, but on the one occassion when I felt sufficiently upset to do so, I found out the home addresses of the directors of the company from Companies House, which cost a few pounds, and addressed my letters to their home addresses, and got the result I wanted. You may be able to do something analogous in the US. 92.24.181.78 (talk) 13:51, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

When I handled consumer complaints for a blue chip company there was no way that a letter would get to the top person without passing through several layers of management. Write, as advised above, to the home address if you can find it.Froggie34 (talk) 16:24, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Vitriolic letters are a total waste of time. Letters are like Wikipedia articles -- to get attention and respect, they should be neutrally worded, clearly written, and based on verifiable facts. Looie496 (talk) 17:42, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

You're stating that as if it were a known and measured fact, when I am sure it is only your own opinion. I see no reason to believe a priori that a neutrally worded letter is going to have more influence than a vitriolic one on individuals or organizations. Human beings are not encyclopedias. An idealized, "polite" model of human psychology is a nice ideal for civil discourse but is no necessarily the most accurate or influential. --Mr.98 (talk) 20:13, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Dismas, have you tried visiting or phoning the bank and politely explaining your problem? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:05, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, it's the result of substantial experience. Anger can be effective, but mainly in two circumstances: (1) if it is associated with an actual ability to do some sort of harm to the subject of it; (2) if it is displayed in public where it may be embarrassing to the subject of it. An angry letter to a corporate leader you don't know is unlikely to meet either of those criteria. Looie496 (talk) 22:27, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

While I don't want to delve into your personal business, do you have a good idea of what you're hoping to accomplish with your letter? I mean, are you trying to get a problem solved, or is this just a burn-all-the-bridges will-never-have-to-deal-with-this-company-again crank-up-the-middle-finger catharsis? (And in the latter case, are you sure you'll never have to deal with them through your place of business, even if you change employers, experience a merger, recruit a large client, etc.?)

A few years ago, I ran across a helpful column titled The Art of Turboing. In this context, 'turboing' is the process of interacting directly with senior company officials after the regular customer support systems have failed. I believe it offers some constructive guidance on when and how to employ this strategy, as well as important pointers on how to avoid pitfalls (...like getting too angry, too early, with the wrong people). TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:27, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

The intent is to make them aware of problems within their bank which have not been satisfactorily handled by escalating phone calls to managers of their customer service people. Dismas|^(talk) 22:15, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

That sounds like a reasonable way of expressing it in writing, and more likely to get a constructive response than using vitriol. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:17, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

There's an old adage that letters containing good news should say the good news up front, while letters containing bad news should soft-pedal it and start with something positive. A general example could be, "I have been a member of your bank for X years, and have always received the highest quality service, which makes a recent problem all the more discouraging." The message basically is, "I like you very much, but..." A letter that starts out "I hate you" is likely to find its way to a circular file or be answered by a form-letter that begins "Dear valued customer..." and contains no useful information. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:25, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

It's hard to start out with something positive when there isn't anything positive to say. I mean, I guess I could start out with "Hey! I've noticed your bank has managed to go a couple months without screwing up my mortgage again..." But on to less snarky comments, how would I go about finding the home addresses of the officers of a (inter?)national bank such as this one? Dismas|^(talk) 13:10, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

If every experience with a bank from day one has been negative, probably best to forget about writing letters, and just close the account and open an account at a different bank. Then you could write a letter telling them why you left their bank. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:35, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Believe me, if it were that simple, I would. But, as I said, it's a mortgage and not that easy to transfer. I've tried to get a re-fi elsewhere already and have been turned down for one reason or another. Dismas|^(talk) 13:38, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Has it been bad service from day one? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:40, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Pretty much. About once a year, they screw up the payments that we send in and then send us letters saying that we haven't paid. At the start of it all, while trying to set up a login on their web site to see our mortgage online, I called cust. service. I first called the mortgage dept who told me that the web site was handled by the personal banking dept. Personal banking sent me back to mortgages. At that point, I asked for a manager and finally got someone who could help. I was, in their own words, "caught in the 'Sovereign Loop'"! It happens so often that the manager had a term for it! And to log in to my account for my mortgage in Vermont, I had to tell the system that I was in Pennsylvania! Dismas|^(talk) 13:47, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

My condolences, Dismas. Sadly, I doubt that the senior management of the bank will care about a letter from an individual. In my experience, most senior managers are cynical people looking out for number one. They may be perfectly happy with the way things work as long as the profit-and-loss statement reflects well on them. They probably could care less about a captive client like you. The only way to get their attention would be to do something that threatens their complacency. You might start out with a polite letter to the CEO so that you can document that you tried to be nice. Then you could escalate by saying vaguely that you may have to consider seeking satisfaction in a more public venue if they are not responsive. The next step might be to draft a plan to set up an organization with a website that posts your experiences (and invites others to submit their experiences) and use the website to urge people seeking mortgages to avoid Sovereign Bank. Send your draft to the bank management and say that you hope you don't have to carry through on this plan and that you will be happy to put it aside if they give you satisfaction. If this still doesn't work, you could follow through on the plan. Your organization could send press releases to media that still do investigative journalism (maybe Consumer Reports?) The organization might collect small donations to consult with a lawyer and see if there is a basis for a class-action lawsuit seeking damages for their harassment or the emotional distress that they have caused. At some point, the cost of giving you satisfaction will be lower than the cost of letting you proceed with your plans. However, going through these steps would be a lot of work on your part. Marco polo (talk) 16:36, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

If you really want to get action with a company, contact the CEO, who is the most likely one to order someone to fix a problem, as he is the most visible face (if there is one) of the company. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:22, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Electric hand drill keyed chucks - opening and closing?

Do they all turn the same way to open, and the opposite to close? What direction do old Black and Decker hand drills turn to open? I have one jammed fully open and I don't know which direction to turn it. Thanks 92.24.181.78 (talk) 12:50, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

All I can tell you is that on my trusty B&D the chuck (and key) turns anticlockwise to open when looked at from the business end. I imagine they are all the same.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 13:04, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, I have worked out which direction they go from the twist of the drill-bits, which is I believe the same for all drill-bits. When holding the drill up in front of you, as if to drill into a wall, the nearest part of the chuck turns clockwise to open. Thanks 92.24.181.78 (talk) 13:23, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

They are obviously designed with right-handers in mind, just as screws and nuts-and-bolts and so on turn clockwise to tighten and counter-clockwise to loosen. In general, tools in which handedness matters are typically designed for right-handers. Can openers come to mind also. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:49, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Would be interesting to find a ref about the origin of "lefty-loosy-righty-tighty" as the standard, to add to Screw thread#Handedness. DMacks (talk) 14:03, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

It is implied by the direction of twist in the drill-bit, which determines which way the drill needs to rotate. The chuck is designed to avoid loosening when the drill is in use. 92.24.181.78 (talk) 15:24, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Yes. And it's still driven by an expectation of right-handedness. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:26, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

The drill in question can have the handle bolted to the left or right side as the user wishes, so not any expectation there. 92.24.181.78 (talk) 15:51, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

The Handedness article states that 70-90 percent of the world is righthanded, and even if it's hard to find a source (the screw was invented hundreds of years ago), it obviously makes sense to create tools and machines primarily for right-handers. Look at most any machine created in the last couple of centuries, in which handedness is a factor, and you'll see that it assumes right-handed operation. The old phonographs and telephones are good examples. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:16, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Another example is the Automobile pedal, which favors right-handers (or right-footers) regardless of which side of the road you drive on. That's because the gas pedal requires a fairly finely-tuned touch, whereas the clutch pedal only requires that you stomp on it. This all must be a nuisance for lefties, but that's the way it is. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:20, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

That assumes that a particular 'handedness' applies equally to all parts and motor functions of the body, which I do not think is the case. For example (ObPersonal), I am, and always have been, conventionally right-handed (no enforced switching of the writing hand as a child, for example), but equally have always been markedly left footed in terms of both force and fine control, something I displayed from the moment I could kick a soccer ball. I also disagree that "the clutch pedal only requires that you stomp on it": clutch control, including smooth (manual) gear changing, finding the point of bite preparatory to moving off, holding the vehicle stationary on an upgrade by slipping the clutch* after releasing the handbrake (all things that are or used to be part of the UK driving test) require a delicate (left-footed) touch.

(*I disagree with the linked article's second description of this manoeuvre - no "back and forward" movement need or should be present.) 87.81.230.195 (talk) 15:30, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I admit that "stomp on it" was a bit of an oversimplification. But the fact remains that the pedals are set up with a dominant right-footer in mind, and that for a left-footer or a "mixed" they would likely be less convenient to use. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:33, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

This may simply an example of where the individuals' mileages differ, but I don't think most people's 'footedness' is so marked that the sidedness of the pedals makes a significant difference - if the accelerator and clutch pedals had been established the other way around from what was probably a random initial design (by Karl Benz?), I bet everybody would find them just as easy. As an upper-limb comparison, consider that most people play a guitar "right-handed", but the left hand has some fairly precise work to do. Anyway, mustn't hijack the thread further :-). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 16:00, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

No, you're onto it. The large majority of persons are right-handed and right-footed. But there is a significant minority of other combinations. However, manufacturers build things with "unit cost" in mind, so they would tend to favor the large majority in their designs. I imagine you might be able to get a custom-made left-hand version of a car, which would be way much more expensive than the the conventional, mass-produced right-hand version. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:33, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

I googled [drills for left handers] and it came up with some interesting sites that sell tools for lefties. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:23, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

The drill I've got is 'ambidextrous' and can have the second handle bolted to either side. I don't think there is any problem or need. 92.24.181.78 (talk) 15:55, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

So is it fixed now? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:56, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

If you weren't so busy replying, you might note that the OP said he figured it out half an hour after posting his initial question. Is there a text version for the phrase "He enjoys the sound of his own voice"? :) Six replies - none of which were aimed at helping the OP... Matt Deres (talk) 16:54, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Agree! 86.4.183.90 (talk) 08:43, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for your considerate comments. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:57, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Who are the people in this video and why are they doing these things

I'm unsure if this question is allowed on the Reference Desk, but I have read the rules at the top and I can't see anything specifically prohibiting it. So firstly a warning; this link is extremely non-safe for work. I cannot stress that enough; I actually threw up watching it. What I would like to know is - who are the people in the video? Why are they doing those things; were they paid to do it, forced to do it, or just doing it for some weird self-pleasure reason? I can't comprehend why anyone would do anything in that video voluntarily. If there are there any Wikipedia articles, news articles, etc about this I would appreciate very much links to them so I can read. Thanks 85.201.138.229 (talk) 20:33, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I haven't looked at your link (and I don't think I want to), but it sound like a shock site, of which there are quite a number. In addition to that article, a few more are listed at Category:Shock sites. Wikipedia used to list a bunch more, but it seems we decided we didn't want to be a directory for this stuff (a longer list, before the trimming, is here). For the most part, it seems that who the participants are, and why they would do these things, aren't publicly known. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 21:29, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I've actually seen that one before (or at least the first bit of it). For people afraid to click the link, it's a video featuring some rather extreme forms of masochism and self-performed genital mutilation, including penile subincision, genital bisection, and more. As far as I can tell, most are amateurs, who do it for reasons of their own, but they're likely not paid performers or being forced to do this. Extreme forms of body modification are definitely a topic in psychology; the OP might wish to see articles such as Skoptic syndrome and genital piercing (and the other links above). Matt Deres (talk) 23:35, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

The video is a compilation of scenes of self-mutilation, mostly genital, by unidentified adult light-skinned males. I think it possible that some of the mutilations are done to corpses. @Finlay McWalter, we should answer questions by looking at the evidence instead of guessing. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:36, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Queensland floods

I live in Sweden and Swedish media claim that 75% of Queensland is under water right now. Obviously not true. Can someone please find a map where I can see where the water is, so that I can tell them how wrong they are? Maybe someone in Australia can help me. Thank you! Calle Widmann (talk) 21:16, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

The Wikipedia article on the floods says that 75% of Queensland has been declared a disaster zone, I don't think that is the same thing but I'm unsure. 91.85.135.156 (talk) 21:34, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

It's not the same thing. Calle Widmann (talk) 21:57, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

This may not be as directly graphic as you like, but it's probably the most authoritative and accurate - here, from the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia, and click on "river conditions". --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 23:57, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Here's a more graphic, up-to-date report, with maps. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 01:47, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Thank you! Calle Widmann (talk) 05:45, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Btw, natural disasters are no respecters of political boundaries. Queensland has been getting most of the media attention, but the floods are also severely affecting parts of northern New South Wales, particularly around Grafton, Tenterfield and Bellingen. [8] [9] -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 09:53, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

I was wondering about that, especially because the Brisbane area is in southern Queensland. They never mention NSW. Rimush (talk) 17:46, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Swedish National Radio (Sveriges Radio) admits its information was wrong. It is very hard for me to believe that 50% of Queensland is under water. I understand that 75% is affected, but can really 50% be under water? Calle Widmann (talk) 19:50, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

The usual media hyperbole. It's bad enough as it is without making it apocalyptic. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 02:58, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Maybe 50% of the densely populated areas? hmmm, actually even that seem very very unlikely. Or could "under water" mean that it is raining there?--Lgriot (talk) 13:04, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Well Brisbane has about 50% of Queenslanders and is currently flooding. Perhaps that is their justification. Googlemeister (talk) 16:31, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

It's unfortunate that the floods can't coincide with the infamous bush fires. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:52, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Not in time but certainly in place. Now it's Victoria's turn. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 18:59, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Limited Company Owning another company

Hi, I am curious about this question, as I was asked by a friend and I had no idea about the answer! Do you know if a Limited Company (LTD) can own another Limited Company in the UK? If not, how does a company have branches below it? For example, could garage A ltd own tyre manufacturer ltd, or how would they have to go about it?

The LTDs I am talking about would have 1,2 or at most 3 owners.

Thanks for your help, Jacques 95.150.87.118 (talk) 22:01, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Certainly. Corporation#Ownership and control. There are various kinds of company and various kinds of ownership, but typically a company is owned by its shareholders, any or all of which might individuals, trusts or other companies. If company A owns all the shares of company B, B is called a wholly owned subsidiary. If a company has branches, they may or may not be separate companies. --ColinFine (talk) 22:31, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Generally speaking, a company with limited liability simply means any creditors can only sue it for its own assets, rather than the assets of its shareholders. There is nothing in this that impedes one such company owning another such company. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 23:51, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

An exception (a narrow one) is that in some countries, a few specific types of companies may be barred from owning certain other types of companies. In the United States, for example, the Sherman Act anti-monopoly law allows the government some latitude in this — the big movie studios were divested of their movie theater holdings in an order that was upheld in the Supreme Court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. (1948); and the behemoth Bell System was broken up in the Bell System divestiture, and the AT&T long distance component wasn't allowed to own the local telephone monopolies for a while. Comet Tuttle (talk) 00:55, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

As an aside, the former AT&T was later bought by one of its own daughter companies. The modern AT&T is actually a rebranded Southwestern Bell Corporation, one of the original 7 Baby Bells. --Jayron32 05:47, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

January 12

video ads

Do newspaper allow this type of ad: "Arab and Somali girls wearing islamic clothing like hijab and jilbab want to showcase their beautiful butt and feet on camera and earn $25.00 per hour of the video. Contact Mustafa at this phone number and this e-mail address. Thank you"? Do they or not? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.95.107.34 (talk) 02:28, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Oh, hello again. Since you are still in Toronto, apparently, then yes, newspapers probably would allow that. It would be weird, surely, but not illegal. Adam Bishop (talk) 02:51, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

I'm not an expert on the Canadian press, but based on media elsewhere, some newspapers might refuse to carry the ad, as it appears it might be an offer of sexual services. Many newspapers refuse to carry advertising for certain products that might be considered immoral (e.g. sex phone lines, pornography, escort services). But you would have to check with the policies of individual newspapers. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:02, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

I doubt the major metropolitan newspapers in Canada would allow that kind of ad (well, maybe the Toronto Sun), but "alternative" weeklies sometimes carry ads for that kind of "service." On the CNBC series American Greed, I saw how a guy in Connecticut tried to recruit for his wannabe personal harem with ads in The Village Voice. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:35, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Pens drying out

I notice that the caps to ball-point pens have slits or holes -- is this to benefit the pen? If it's not airtight, then it must not be that leaving a cap off will cause the pen to dry out, and click pens just disappear into the shaft, so is the cap just to prevent the pen from leaving ink marks on things? It seems that lots of old people say "put the cap back on so it doesn't dry out." DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 16:10, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

The ball of a ball point pen can effectively act as a cap, and the amount of ink left exposed to air is fairly miniscule. I'm not sure what the ink is based on, but that may also have an effect on the way it dries out. Felt tip pens and markers are prone to drying out due to their design and the way ink is delivered so they need airtight caps. I remember hearing that the holes are there so small children can breathe if they swallow the caps... but I'm almost certain that's an urban legend and shouldn't be taken as fact. Unfortunately my brief search can't find a reliable source confirming or denying it. 206.131.39.6 (talk) 16:22, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

First of all, to equalize the pressure inside the pen with the pressure outside the pen. Secondly the safety reason. It's not an urban legend. The reliable source is here. See "Stationery Products". Oda Mari (talk) 17:49, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

From my reading of the source (Thanks! I can't believe I looked over that in my search!), the holes in the caps are only for protection when swallowed. The hole to equalize pressure is on the pen itself.206.131.39.6 (talk) 18:53, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Reference for the safety aspect - http://www.bicworld.com/en/pages/faq/ Exxolon (talk) 20:52, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

January 13

Adelheid. Wittgenstein and the Bishop

In Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations" he asks whether Adelheid and the Bishop play a real game of chess. What is this a reference to? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.200.201.120 (talk) 10:49, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Goethe´s drama, Götz von Berlichingen (beginning of act II, I think). --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:36, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Grosseto worth a detour - any Italian can tell me?

Hello, I am going to drive from Pisa to Rome and back. It seems the shortest is via Florence, but one can pass via Grosseto instead if a longer drive, I may do that on the return trip. The question is, it is worth stopping in Grosseto for a half day visit? I have never heard of it before and don't know if there is anything interesting to see there. The pictures on our Wikipedia article don't seem to highlight anything exceptional. Any other town where I should stop on my way? I already have planned stops in Lucca, Florence, and Siena. --Lgriot (talk) 14:53, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

I lived in Florence for most of a year in the late 1980's and traveled to a lot of the area towns and cities twixt Florence and Pisa, and Florence and Rome (and Naples and further south to Sicily). I don't ever remember anyone mentioning "you should visit Grosseto," though, that being said I've never found an Italian village or town to NOT to be interesting in some way (yes, I'm an incorrigible Italophile). How long do you have for driving? The reason for asking is that your planned stops in Florence and Siena can be enjoyed for weeks (if not months and years); Lucca is a good half-day or day trip. Sacrificing even a half day for Grosseto when you could spend that same time on the infinite joys and sights of Florence and Siena might be a consideration. If you want any suggestions about Florence in particular (e.g., did you know you can see Galileo's severed index finger?) just ask! --Quartermaster (talk) 15:21, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Ok I indeed have lmited time, so I will simply spend more of it in Florence, I guess. Thanks Quartermaster. I will leave this open in case anyone wants to suggest the Castelli Romani or whatever. --Lgriot (talk) 15:40, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

recipe for a mexican dinner

I wrote to you before. I will like to know if kristen will be able to get my recipe for a mexican dinner that i have made up. I've had many people ask me to open a restaurant because of the taste of the food. I would like to give her the recipe before i patent it. after i patent it, i won't be able to give it to her. i love the way this kids have brouth so much joy to me . I'm 70 years old and i too have my edward. my name is carmen mannix. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.19.128.112 (talk) 21:21, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Wouldn't you copyright a recipe rather then patent? Googlemeister (talk) 22:11, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

You can do both, actually. You automatically copyright your particular expression of it (the instructions and ingredients list), but you can indeed also patent recipes, for better or worse. Usually there's little reason to do this unless you are a big industrial food concern (patents are expensive). If this sounds weird in the context of small restaurants, consider it in the context of say, Coca-Cola, or Kraft. Proving originality is probably easier when your "food" is comprised of bizarre artificial chemicals, but there's no inherent reason you couldn't patent recipes that don't contain that. (The sealed crustless sandwich is a classic example, which illustrates both the principle, and the pitfalls of trying to truly come up with an "original" recipe with common ingredients.) In any case, if you did have a patent awarded to you (for a recipe or whatever else), you, the title holder, can elect to determine the terms of use with other people. So you could indeed let Kristen use the patent without any royalties or whatever. If Kristen was concerned about the legalities, she could have a lawyer draw up the terms of the agreement. --Mr.98 (talk) 23:32, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Interesting that you mention Coca-Cola. They famously never patented their Coke-Cola formula because it would involve making it public. (Excepting certain military inventions, All patents are public documents. They can be searched online by anybody.) If Coke's formula had been patented back in the 1880s it would be long expired by now and anyone would be able to make Coca-Cola, but because they kept it a secret they've never been exactly duplicated. (Coke has the extra advantage of using an ingredient that's not legally available without a license that's only ever been issued to them, but that's besides the point.))

Even before a patent expires nothing would stop anyone from looking up the recipe on Google's patent search[10] and making it in their own kitchen, so long as they didn't try to sell it. APL (talk) 00:38, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, indeed, Coca-Cola may not be the best example! (Generally speaking, even military patents are open as well. Patent secrecy is usually declared while it is still an application, not a granted patent. There are a few instances of patents being withdrawn after being determined to be more dangerous than people realized at first, but they generally try to do that stuff before it becomes a true patent.) Trade secrets are more often used for things of that nature, which is a valid point, but doesn't detract from the possibility of patenting it. You patent things whose recipe is obvious from the product; you use trade secrets for things whose recipes cannot be reverse engineered. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:21, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

I think you mean composed rather than compromised. —Tamfang (talk) 03:43, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Aiming for "comprised", probably. --Sean 16:43, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Well if we are being pedantic, then "includes" might be better, since one hopes that there are more wholesome ingredients included, but perhaps the intention was a portmanteau of this and "is compromised by"? Dbfirs 17:36, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Thank you, all, for dissecting my typos! --Mr.98 (talk) 18:59, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

January 14

Ouker/Ochre vs. Oquirrh

OK, the Indians gave us the name of the mountains and the pronunciation. However, they probably didn't know how to spell at the time, so where did we, essentially the invaders of the territory, decide the spelling should be Oquirrh? Do we know the originator?

You have many requirements to be fulfilled just to ask a question. Hope this gets through. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.224.202.252 (talk) 01:03, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

I have altered the formatting of this question to remove the boxes around it. Matt Deres (talk) 03:10, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps someone was thinking of myrrh. —Tamfang (talk) 03:36, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

See Shoshone_language#Writing_System. --Sean 16:49, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't see how that link answers the question, Sean. Or are you saying that one of the references therein discusses it? --ColinFine (talk) 18:24, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Actually, it deepens the mystery, since Shoshone apparently has no "r". Adam Bishop (talk) 19:43, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

According to Oquirrh Mountains, it's a Goshute word. Goshutes are apparently a tribe within the Shoshone tribes, and speak/spoke a variant of their language. The link I gave gives pointers to two different writing systems for Shoshone, which will presumably elucidate the spelling. I agree it was not a stellar response. --Sean 20:01, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Thames Valley Eggs

What happened to Thames Valley Eggs? One used to see their lorries all over the place, and their eggs in the supermarket, but apparently no more. Did they change name, go bust, or what?

This says that they were taken over by Stonegate. I found that by doing a search at Google News for "Thames Valley Eggs" (quotes included so that it searched for that specific phrase). Dismas|^(talk) 04:33, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Hat

Why is it disrespectful to wear a hat inside a restaurant? jc iindyysgvxc (my contributions) 03:50, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

It is disrespectful for men to wear hats inside, period. It's a cultural norm. The phrase "cultural norm" is sociologist-speak for "It's just what we do". --Jayron32 04:27, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Right. See this Yahoo Answer - manya (talk) 04:29, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Someone should tell sportspeople like Lleyton Hewitt et al about this rule. They have a very annoying habit of conducting news conferences with a cap on, often hunched over the desk, and their face is virtually invisible. What are they hiding, or hiding from? -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 04:36, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Judging by the pics in the article, he only ever wears them backwards. Dismas|^(talk) 04:39, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

That's on court. At the media conferences, it's like this. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 08:48, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Regretfully one of those old fashioned courtesies that has fallen by the wayside, especially by the young. (ignorant slobs, badly brought up!)--85.211.160.26 (talk) 08:56, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Bear in mind that many professionals in sport are sponsored by a multitude of enterprises. These companies want to see their logo displayed when such a sporting person is interviewed. As a result they wear caps, blazers and probably even underwear which is adorned with the commercial symbols of the sponsoring enterprise. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 09:25, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

NOTE: such a cultural norm is culture specific, of course. Orthodox Jewish men who wear hats do not take them off when they are inside, and if they're not wearing a hat but only a yarmulka, they do not remove that either. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 10:10, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect you would know: The theory behind the head covering in the synagogue is humbling oneself before God. Women as well as men are expected to wear a head covering in the synagogue or while praying, right? In churches (as with most any indoor setting), men doff their hats, but women usually keep theirs on. I expect that's more cultural than religious - as well as practical, in that women's hats were often held in place by pins, and re-pinning later would be a nuisance. This trend of wearing hats indoors (especially baseball caps) is hard to figure. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:49, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

FYI, the men covering and women uncovering during worship is explicit in 1 Cor 11:2-6. It's worth saying that not all churches follow this rule anymore. Staecker (talk) 13:11, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, earlier I almost said that men uncovering and women covering was religious-based, but it occurred to me it seemed more culturual. But the scripture you cite does indeed give a religious basis... along with a bunch of sexist drivel, but that's another story. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:17, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Why is it disrespectful though? it may be "the norm" or "tradition", to do so, but why? I can't say that anyone has ever told me to take my hat off indoors, and in fact in one of my jobs (in a kitchen) we have to wear our caps whenever we are in there... gazhiley.co.uk 13:36, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

An exception to the rule would be when wearing a head covering is part of the "uniform" of the job you're doing. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:41, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

That's my point - what "rule"?!! Just one of those things I suppose... gazhiley.co.uk 14:24, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

This article [11] (found via hat) says that as recently as the 19th century, hats were worn indoors, for instance in offices. I wonder if that includes private homes and churches, though, and of course what about restaurants? (The thought occurs that there must be 19th c. paintings of restaurant scenes which could be checked for hats.) Headgear#Headgear_etiquette mentions the traditions but doesn't explain them (or cite anything). Britannica claims [12] a connection to knights wearing helmets. (Similar knight-based explanations exist for shaking hands with the right hand, and the chirality of men's buttons.) Not sure how a helmeted knight would behave in an office. 81.131.18.187 (talk) 15:23, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Legend has it that in the late 19th century, electric utility switch operators in power stations and substations were expected to wear hats. When they interrupted a circuit by pulling out a plug from a switchboard, they used the hat to fan out the arc. This was found to be an unsafe way to switch high voltage AC circuits, so oil switches were later introduced. Edison (talk) 17:46, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

(OR:) Many rules of ettiquette are essentially arbitrary (as can be seen by the way they change with both place and time) and I would argue have the primary purpose of distinguishing those that follow them from those that don't. They often have a strong rationalisation in the culture, though. "Respect" is often part of this rationalisation. I can see that some behaviours (eg kneeling, looking downward) may be universally construed as showing respect, but in many cases nothing but the cultural norms specify that some action is respectful or disrespectful. So to me "we do that to show respect" often means no more than "we do that because that's what proper people do here". --ColinFine (talk) 18:37, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

The Quakers and other radical Protestants used to look upon the custom as idolatrous "hat worship", and would pointedly refuse to remove their hats before authority figures or when going indoors. This rebellion was once widely known and associated with Quakers, such that if Mr. Jones were to absentmindedly wear his hat indoors he would be sarcastically addressed as "Friend Jones", in the Quaker style. LANTZY^TALK 18:44, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

"I can't say that anyone has ever told me to take my hat off indoors" ... In the USA, you will be removed from a courtroom if you refuse to remove your hat, unless there's a religious reason to wear it. 63.17.73.245 (talk) 03:29, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I have seen men asked to leave Royal Canadian Legion halls in Canada for refusing to remove their headgear. Bielle (talk) 04:22, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

January 15

how many law students are there in the US?

how many law students are there in the US? Please answer to (email removed) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.82.82.184 (talk) 00:28, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Removed email address, you will get your answer here on the reference desk. Royor (talk)

See the "Law Students" section in this pdf from the American Bar Association. Additional in depth info (also from ABA): Statistical Resources, Legal Education Statistics. Royor (talk) 07:00, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Seven Reasons Why I only have left-handed gloves

There are many lists of 'seven reasons for this' or 'seven reasons for that'. Why not six reasons or eight reasons.. What is so special about the number 7 when it comes to lists? Buster Seven Talk 02:35, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Seven has been important in world religions. schyler (talk) 04:13, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I once read somewhere (in a guide to magic tricks IIRC) that when people are asked to pick a number between 1 and 10, 7 is easily the most common choice. Is there any truth to that? the wub "?!" 10:15, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

What was that all about ?

Recently, while watching an instalment of the New Zealand sports programme The Crowd Goes Wild, I saw a film of an incident in which a baseball was hit for a home run, and as it was heading towards a child who was preparing to catch it, an unrelated man stuck out his hand and caught it, giving it to his child. This seemed a bit rude, although it was not clear whether the man knew the other child was going for the ball. What was this incident, and what is the accepted behaviour when attempting to catch a ball as a trophy ? I did here of the incident in which a guy looking for a home run ball for his son screwed up his own team's chance of a World Series - certainly not on purpose - but how many balls do they allow for a baseball game ?

( In the British Commonwealth we all know that if the cricket ball is caught in the crowd it has to be given back, since the nature of the game allows for one ball to be worn out over the course of the play to allow for changes in the ball's behaviour ( Altough back in January 1993, as Auckland hit the winning runs against my beloved Canterbury in what was then the Shell Cup at a one day match here in Christchurch, the ball went for four, and bounced off the embankment steps which were there in those days, and I caught it - but then I threw it back towards the umpires, since I was not sure if I was even allowed the ball then. ) I also would be curious as to find out whether we are allowed balls as trophies at the end of cricket - assuming the ball in question is not part of some record, as was the one given to Richard Hadlee at Lancaster Park twenty years ago, with which he took his four hundredth test wicket ) Thanks. The Russian Christopher Lilly 06:58, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

City Map of Aryanah

I'm looking for a city map of Aryanah with the names of the streets. Can somebody help me? In which way can I find the streets (I know only the names of the streets)?--79.210.213.6 (talk) 11:43, 15 January 2011 (UTC)