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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. [1] [2] -- 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[3] 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)

I prefer not to assume that it's an error on top of another error – but now that's been confirmed .... —Tamfang (talk) 18:38, 16 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 [4] (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 [5] 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)

It is also common to forbid hatwearing inside American schools or some other youth culture areas where fears of hats indicating gang allegiance exist. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 15:45, 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)

See http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2007/02/is_17_the_most_random_number.php. Staecker (talk) 13:42, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

7 as a number has plenty of 'hooks' to make it interesting - there are 7 days in a week, 7 days of creation, 7 deadly sins etc. If you like 7 you might like 6. Or if you like numbers you might like the Guardian's Top 10 numbers between 1 and 10 (http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/observer/archives/2005/05/16/the_all_time_top_10_best_ever_numbers_between_1_and_10.html) ny156uk (talk) 14:05, 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)

Was the clip of something that happened in North America, or do they play rounders in New Zealand? 92.15.24.16 (talk) 13:19, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Baseball (ball) indicates that "several dozen" may be used during a professional baseball game. The article also talks about what is done with balls that are hit into the stands, today and historically. I can not find a reference right now, but I believe that Chicago Cubs fans traditionally will throw back a ball hit into the bleachers by the opposing team. (Please try to use more meaningful section titles for the benefit of other readers.) --LarryMac | Talk 13:53, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

There have been recent incidents of fans reaching out to catch a ball which a player could have caught, which affected playoff games (Steve Bartman, Jeffrey Maier). That's pretty rare though. If and adult in the stands takes a ball away from a kid, usually the other tens of thousands of people in the stadium will boo and shame him into giving the ball back. Adam Bishop (talk) 14:04, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

In baseball, any blemish on the ball is considered an unfair advantage for the pitcher as he can better throw erratically-moving pitches. The umpire keeps several fresh balls on him to replace damaged balls as well as those hit into the stands or out of the stadium. Pitchers altering the ball (for instance, a spitball or cut-ball) can be suspended. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 15:41, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

That's the main reason but there's also a public relations reason for letting the fans keep the ball. It serves as a memento of the game that you attended and you go home with a great anecdote about how you caught the ball. But yeah, often adults who catch the ball (not counting the "stealing it from another kid" angle here) will give it to their own kid. In some cases, the person will find a way to get that particular ball autographed by the player that hit it into the stands. Maybe months/years later at some autograph signing event or such. Dismas|^(talk) 18:23, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I once went to a cricket match at Lord's in London. I nearly caught a ball that had skipped into the stands. I was surprised to see that the person who did catch it immediately tossed it back to the players. I would have instinctively said "Alright!" and stuffed it in my bag, possibly creating a diplomatic incident. Anyway, the instinctive action of any baseball fan is to reach out to grab any ball that flies into the stands. Some fans have even absent-mindedly gotten in the way of their own team's player trying to catch the ball, such as the above-mentioned Bartman. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:37, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Thank You all for those comments. The incident I was referring to was in a baseball game in North America, but I cannot recall where. In New Zealand we play cricket as well as Softball, at which we have been world champions - the last time being in Christchurch in 2004, just a few hundred yards from the place my sister was living in at the time, so I could walk her kids down to see it. Two years ago Australia upset NZ in the softball world final. I do not know if we play baseball. During Cricket at some more parklike grounds without a permananet stadium, like Hagley Oval and QEII here in Christchurch, spectators will sit around the ground close to the boundary rope, and some kids keen on fielding the ball can get in the way of players, but also players themselves can accidentally run into close spectators in such places. There was also an incident here before Christmas where a girl was hit in the face by a ball that leapt up at her once it crossed the boundary. Certainly if someone not from a given country goes to a game, if they do so with locals, then the conventions in existence need to be explained so that Americans do not accidentally take the cricket ball. In indoor cricket they use composite softer yellow balls, and are not so concerned about how many overs a ball does - worn ones can be bought from such places so they can buy newer ones. In test cricket, the red Kookaburra ™ balls have to be replaced once 80 overs have been bowled, giving the fielding team a crack at the batsmen with ten overs to go in the day. New Balls, like in Tennis, will move faster, and in cricket they will swing better ( although older ones achieve what is known as reverse swing ), but they also come off the bat better, allowing the batsman to use less effort. In one day internationals, the white Kookaburra™ is replaced after 34 overs, leaving just over an hour with a fresh ball. If the ball is lost, the umpires will come out with a box of pre used balls of similar wear. They are very strict on this and occasions of ball tampering - one man was even filmed biting a test ball like it was an apple - and it was assumed that it wasn't because he was an hungred. The Russian Christopher Lilly 06:57, 16 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)

Google Earth with the road option turned on will give some street names. If you don't have Google Earth then on of these may have what you are looking for. Enter CBW, waits for audience applause, not a sausage. 17:40, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Hip Flask

I just got a really nice hip flask, problem is that I'm a non drinker and I don't have a trophy cabinet to put it in (so I'd like to use it). Anyone have any ideas for what drinks I can put in it? 121.216.244.184 (talk) 12:34, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Adam's Ale would be best. Edit: removed vandalism re-direct. 92.15.24.16 (talk) 13:22, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Uh... Adam's ale redirects to water, but you've piped your link to beer, which might confuse someone who hasn't heard the term "Adam's ale" before. By the way, I agree with the suggestion to use it for water. A hip flask is much more stylish than a Nalgene bottle, although people seeing you drink from it might assume you have alcohol in it and get concerned. -- 174.21.229.4 (talk) 18:20, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Vandalism by someone else, not me. I've now corrected it. When I originally wrote Adam's Ale it came up red. Of course I mean water. Perhaps someone with more patience or know-how than me can identify who the vandal was. 92.15.24.16 (talk) 19:12, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I would hesitate to sling accusations of vandalism. In all likelihood, he was just unfamiliar with the term "Adam's ale", and thought he was being helpful by fixing your red link. Such are the dangers of editing others' posts, however. I've left a polite note on his talk page, informing him of the gaffe, and mentioning such things are better handled by posting your own comment with the suggested fix. (BTW, the edit was easy enough to find by looking through the History tab looking for "Hip Flask" section edits.) -- 174.21.229.4 (talk) 23:49, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Adams ale! No, that doesn't display the right spirit. I'm sure this mutt is a non-drinker as well, yet he has the right idea in case he should chance upon some a weary traveller (such as I). So fill it with mix of Bénédictine & Brandy (in equal parts) for this time of year or a refreshing gin and sherbet cooler for the summer. In the humid tropics, add lots of tonic water to ward off malaria.--Aspro (talk) 18:11, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I take it the hip flask is of small volume. They are usually 100-250 ml.(I've just measured both mine.) That quantity of water is not very exciting, especially if you wish to take advantage of the

spontaneous conviviality inherent in the idea of a hip flask. The OP eschews alcohol. I suggest filling the flask with a cordial: elderflower perhaps, or a concentrate of berries. Then, when the opportunity arises, at a party perhaps, you can whip it out and enliven the glass of anyone drinking water, or tonic. Failing that, you could regift the item. BrainyBabe (talk) 22:56, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Street: same direction, different name

I've seen that in Europe, some streets have sometimes the same direction, are contiguous to each other, but have different names. That's sometimes confusing for non-Europeans, who do not expect that you can be at a different street without turning left or right. Is that indeed not heard of in other continents? Quest09 (talk) 12:52, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Just to make sure, when you say "contiguous", you mean that when you keep driving on Alpha Street in a straight line, you eventually end up on Beta Road? Using Google Earth I've just taken a casual look in Melbourne, Australia, and there it appears to happen all the time. It is probably lot rarer in American cities with their usual grid layout. Anyway, I'll happily be corrected by someone who, unlike me, has actually seen the world. 83.81.50.146 (talk) 13:08, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, I wanted to say "continuous" indeed. Quest09 (talk) 14:22, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

The American practice seems equally strange to Europeans: having addresses like 9879 Acacia Avenue seems really odd. 92.15.24.16 (talk) 13:26, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Yes. Well, except in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, where a whole borough shares a street name, so that you can have "12345 Graan voor Visch". 83.81.50.146 (talk) 13:28, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

It's quite common in London, where the city has evolved over 2,000 years with very little actual planning. Sometimes two distinct roads have over time run into each other and become a continuous route, but nobody has wanted all the upheaval of changing the names. Gracechurch Street and Bishopsgate in the City of London is an example, both roads originated in Anlo-Saxon times. In the suburbs, most of the main routes were originally meandering country lanes, with new roads being added later. Obviously there would be confusion if you gave an old name to a new piece of road or a new name to an old one. Alansplodge (talk) 13:49, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

It's not only common in London, it is the norm for countless streets all over the UK. Its uncommon to find streets with numbers over 100, which would imply that you were living on a busy main road, which would not be pleasant. British towns and cities grew by organic accretion (sp?) over many centuries while I think American cities are planned. I recall reading that around the time the White House was built, the grid-roads shown on a contemporary map mostly did not exist and were just green fields. 92.15.24.16 (talk) 14:35, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

In America it is not uncommon for street names to change across county or state borders -- US 522 north of Winchester is known as North Frederick Pike in Virginia, but Valley Road in West Virginia. Since both roads share the same posted route number, there is little confusion. This also happens in downtown areas of some cities, but I don't think it is nearly as common as it is in Europe. When trying to enter Norfolk from the north, most directions tell you to follow US 460 into downtown. What they don't tell you is that the same line of pavement is first known as Granby Street, then Church Street once it crosses a river, then Fenchurch Street close to downtown. Worse, US 460 actually turns onto another road in the middle, all without a speck of signage whatsoever to aid the traveler. Trying to get into downtown using this movement and not knowing where I was going, I ended up on Fenchurch Street at night -- that is not recommended. Xenon54 (talk) 15:20, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Happens all the time in Europe. Strange for me, is the presence of rural back roads with the name 230th street - a name which implies to me a urban street in a huge metropolis; or that the nextdoor neighbour of 9879 Acacia Avenue is number 9717 Acacia Avenue. Astronaut (talk) 16:31, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I live in rural Canada. My street number is 4 digits, even though there are fewer than 30 houses on the road, albeit spread along several kilometers. The house around the corner has a 5 digit number, and its street name is "Highway xx". On the other side of this same highway, which is also a boundary between electoral districts, "my" street changes its name. Bielle (talk) 17:29, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't see what's so strange about things like 9879 Acacia Avenue. ('course I wouldn't, I'm American :-) The house is on Acacia Ave and it is probably 9.8 miles from some established point, usually the end of the road. Many addresses in the US are laid out like that, where your address indicates just how far down the road you are. It's helpful for a number of things including emergency responders, package delivery (UPS and FedEx), and pizza delivery. Additionally, the odd numbers are on one side of the street and the evens on the other. So across the street would likely be 9880. And as far as roads changing names, yeah, that's common from town to town or after crossing a major road. Near me there is a road called Pond Rd. Once it crosses into the next town it's then called Oak Hill Rd. Once Oak Hill hits a major road called Rt. 2, it then becomes North Williston Rd. Another local example is Rt. 7. It is called Shelburne Road in the town of Shelburne. It's still Rt. 7 but within the town, it's more often called Shelburne Road. This helps narrow down what section of Rt. 7 you may be referring to. Dismas|^(talk) 18:17, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I have 2 residences. 1 urban, 1 rural. The rural home is in a developement from the 1950's, maybe 100 houses spread out here in there in a gated community. Many, many street names. BUT no two numbers are alike. Only one 1022, 2345, 7635, etc. Easy to find locations.Buster Seven Talk 18:50, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I've seen it a few times here in Canada. In Vancouver, Arbutus Street morphs into West Boulevard for some reason. Clarityfiend (talk) 19:35, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict)Two things:

• In the U.S, it is quite common for streets or roads to change names along the "main line" of the road; this can happen for a few reasons

• The jurisdiction responsible for maintaining the road changes, so the name changes. For example, along New Hampshire Route 3A at the town border between Hudson, New Hampshire and Litchfield, New Hampshire, the name of the road changes names from "Webster Street" to "Charles Bancroft Highway". If you look to the left side of the picture in this Google Street View: [6] you'll see a skinny green sign that anounces the change from Hudson to Litchfield, that marks the change in road name too, but there's otherwise no obvious reason that the road should change names, its the same stretch of pavement.
• The configuration around an intersection has changed, so what used to be "straight" has turned into a "turn" and visa-versa. In otherwords, if you continue on the road you are on, the name changes, but if you make what looks like a change of roads, you stay on the same road name. Take, for example, this intersection in Raleigh, North Carolina:[7] You are traveling on Creech Road. To stay on Creech Road, however, you need to make a right turn. The road straight ahead is Sanderford Road, a different name, though it is the same "road". At some time in the past, Creech used to be the "straight" and you used to have to make a left turn to go onto Sanderford. However, the local authorities changed the configuration, likely to match or influence the predominant traffic patterns; i.e. it made more sense to allow cars to go straight than to make them make a left turn.

--Jayron32 19:42, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

This is definitely not just limited to Europe. I've seen plenty of this sort of thing in several different urban/suburban regions of the US. MD-355 in Maryland comes to mind; depending where you are along the road, it's called either Wisconsin Avenue, Rockville Pike, Hungerford Drive, Frederick Pike, Urbana Pike, or Market Street, and none of these changes requires a single turn. Voikya (talk) 20:05, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Conversely, I have on occasion been confused by discontinuous streets in US cities: where two streets on the same line, but widely separated from each other, have the same name. There are occasionally discontinuous streets in the UK (for example, where a motorway or bypass has been built, splitting an older road into two) but it is much less common, and they are generally separated by only a short distance. --ColinFine (talk) 20:41, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

US addresses such as 9438 Short Road are not only caused by their habit of never renaming streets that run in a straight line. Something I discovered on moving to the US is that they go up by 100 every block (i.e. at every cross street, which is roughly equivalent to saying "every n metres" given the grid system). So Short Road might have numbers between 2 and 98 until it crosses some other street, and than have 100 to 198, and so on. 9438 Short Road means that it's in the 95th block, which means it's a longish street, but not necessarily anywhere near as long as you'd expect if it had to have 9438÷2 houses between number 1 and number 9438. Marnanel (talk) 21:11, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I guess you'd be awfully confused then by a place I know of where they have three roads with the same name meeting at a point. Reminds me I must send an email to the AA because when they give you a route they don't mention the junction at all in their directions! Dmcq (talk) 21:26, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I wouldn't be at all confused, being English myself. Americans might be. Marnanel (talk) 22:06, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

It's not uncommon for roads to change names in the U.S. as you go from one town or county to another. But usually, there's several miles between each name change. In Europe, the street names sometimes change as often as every few blocks. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:30, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't think anyone has linked to our articles on house numbering and street or road name, which have lots of interesting examples. There isn't any information on the Hoofddorp example, though, so if someone has reliable references, that would be a useful addition. Warofdreams talk 23:44, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

hyperhomocysteinemia

My ten yr. old grandson had a high level of hmocysteine in his blood. Blood work was done because my dtr. has Leiden's and Factor Vlll. So she had her 13 yr.old dtr. tested as well as her son. Dtr. was negative. What advice can you give to lower the level.I just came from your website which states raising the levels of folic acid,B12 and pyridoxine. If she gives him a concentrated B only vitamins, will that help? ANy dietary recommendations?He is a very healthy, well nourished, active in sports(football) child. Will this be a problem only later in life or is he @ risk as a child? Thank you so much for your response. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.70.198.114 (talk) 15:29, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Sorry, but we aren't permitted to give medical advice. You should seek answers to this from a qualified medical source. AndyTheGrump (talk) 15:34, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

A tough interview question.....

I work in a organization and I want to change my Job.... whenever I go for an interview they ask me "Why do you want to change your job, you are with a good organization ?" every time I try to satisfy interviewer with my answeres but it doesn't work.. can anyone help me .. what can be a good answer for leaving a good organization../

Naturally we cannot tell you what the answer is because it depends on your circumstances and so on, but some possibilities would be that you want new challenges, your life circumstances have changed (say you have recently become a parent, you may need a new job), you clashed with someone or something at your old job even though it was a good organisation. These are just a few options. Ask yourself what the real answer is, and then phrase it positively when asked, there must be a reason you are leaving right? 91.85.141.95 (talk) 16:04, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't think there's a definitive answer to such a question without more in depth context (e.g., what type of organization, what is your position in it, how long have you been there, more information about the interviewer, etc.). Giving more context is usually not possible without disclosing a lot of personal information. Also, are you attempting to change your position and responsibilities WITHIN the same organization, or are you looking to leave the company you work for and look for a job with a different company? If it's the latter you need to ensure that your exit satisfies company policy (how much time in advance do they request for resignations) and that you communicate civilly in order to retain potential future positive references.

All that being said, have you considered just telling them the real reason you want to change your job rather than attempt to "satisfy the interviewer" as you put it? If the problem is also that your failure to satisfy the interviewer means you are actively prohibited from changing positions, you might want to diplomatically inquire as to how leaving your current position might be bad for the organization, and whether or not there is anything you can do to mitigate that (e.g., train a replacement). --Quartermaster (talk) 16:08, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

(e/c)The best answer is the truth. If that is a problem there are many positive things you could say, like you want to work with an even better organization, or you think you are better suited for the new job, or you think there are better opportunities in the new job. (Be prepared for follow up questions to all of these; employers are very suspicious of people who may not be telling the truth.)--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:09, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

This comes up a lot, I think. The standard "good" answer is something like, "I enjoyed my work there, but I felt that the position was not fully exploiting my abilities, and I would like to have a job that would allow me to contribute at a higher level," or something along those lines. Of course this only works if you are applying for a job that is at least as demanding as the one you had. Also if you aren't confident that your former employer will give you a good recommendation, you will need to formulate an answer that gives a plausible reason for your difficulties. Looie496 (talk) 17:21, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

The interviewers fear may be that you are only using his organization as a steppingstone to even greater heights. He may want to hear confirmation that should a position be offered it would be accepted with longevity at the core. Assure him that you are not making a temporary change. Also, of course, as stated above, he wants to know if you are a problem solver or a problem creator. Be honest but sell yourself and your abilities. Resist getting trapped into talking negative about your former organization and your fellow employees or talking negative about yourself. Good Luck. Let us know when you are successful.Buster Seven Talk 18:40, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

ADD NAME TO SAXOPHONIST LIST

I am Greg Abate American Saxophonist musician I would like to be added to the list please. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.229.80.145 (talk) 21:24, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

According to the article entitled Greg Abate, you are already included in the list. See the bottom of the page. I'll check and see if the cataloging has actually worked. Bielle (talk) 21:34, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

And there you are! Scroll down to the second section: 'Pages in category "American saxophonists"' (As an aside, I found that catalogue to be extremely confusing. I have no idea how to fix it.) Bielle (talk) 21:42, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

You are in the list of jazz saxophonists - wow, number 2 - but not in the list of saxophonists (which is largely dealing with jazz musicians, anyway). Unfortunately, I have no idea how to edit the latter :( --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:11, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

I know how! Job done. My congratulations to Greg on being the #2 saxophonist in the world ever alphabetically. The table sorts by first name when you click the column, though. Not sure if there's a nice way to fix that. (Nice = doesn't make the table more work to edit or the page take longer to load.)  Card Zero  (talk) 23:23, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

What enclosed structure has the largest single interior space?

If we measure interior space by the volume of the largest convex solid a structure can hold (without interference from any architectural/structural elements), what enclosed structure would be the largest in the world? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.49.11.68 (talk) 21:30, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Aerium? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:52, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Son Doong Cave? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:04, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

The universe (assuming it is finite)? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:50, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

In my father's house are many mansions, but the universe is still not "in the world", Cookatoo. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 23:40, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

That is a strange measure of "interior space" since any structural column would greatly diminish it, without decreasing what most people understand to be interior space. Probably some inflated domed structure would fit the particular definition, since air pressure can hold up a flimsy roof like the Minnesota Metrodome (except when the roof tears and it collapses). Edison (talk) 05:32, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

January 16

Heartbeat (ITV police drama) episode 360 series 18 "The Middle Of Somewhere"

Hello, I watched Heartbeat latest episode from Finland television, and I have few questions about it:

1. Why did Rosie murdered? Why didn´t Polly murdered?
2. Who was the Rosie murderer?
3. Why Rosie´s murderer dead?
4. Why the murderer had messed Rosie´s passport?

thank you very much for answers --Olli (talk) 07:14, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

Alcohol and 21-year-old rule in the US

I am curious, in an entirely hypothetical way, whether if you buy "medical" alcohol in a pharmacy, they are required to check your ID? I know I only bought it once in my life and I was already at that time significantly over 21, and I don't think I was asked for ID, so it's inconclusive. I don't imagine they'd ask for non-ethyl alcohols, since people in the US are not sufficiently crazy to drink it [please let me know if they do check!], but I am curious about "normal" pure ethyl alcohol, which I guess should be drinkable if diluted. --99.113.32.198 (talk) 07:27, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

It's rare(or completely unheard of) that pure ethanol is sold in pharmacies. If they did, it would be "denatured" with added methanol to make it undrinkable. Plus, I think your garden variety rubbing alcohol is tert-butanol, anyways.98.248.125.228 (talk) 07:31, 16 January 2011 (UTC)